Christina Sharpe is an American author and academic whose work explores Blackness, post-slavery subjectivity, and the complexities of Black life. She is best known for her critically acclaimed book "In the Wake: On Blackness and Being" (2016), which examines the enduring legacies of slavery through the lens of Black cultural production. Her other notable works include "Monstrous Intimacies: Making Post-Slavery Subjects" (2010) and the more recent "Ordinary Notes" (2023), published by Knopf, FSG, and Daunt Books.
As a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Black Studies in the Humanities at York University in Toronto, Sharpe combines scholarly rigor with lyrical prose to interrogate themes of violence, memory, and resistance. Her writing spans academic and literary genres, blending theoretical analysis with personal reflection. Sharpe holds a bachelor's degree in English and African studies from the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a master's and doctorate from Cornell University, which inform her interdisciplinary approach to Black studies.
Sharpe's contributions to Black critical thought have established her as a leading voice in contemporary scholarship. Her works have been widely cited and celebrated for their innovative frameworks and profound insights into the Black experience. With the publication of "Ordinary Notes" in 2023, she continues to expand her exploration of Black life through a collection of meditations on art, history, and the everyday.